A small Italian Town in Tuscany, bans Kebab Shops, Fast-foods and non-Italian shop signs

April 27, 2018

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Pistoia has banned new kebab shops from opening in the historic centre, as well as all shop signs must be written only using the Italian alphabet!

The tough new rules were set out by the city council on Monday, and apply to the entire historic centre of the medieval city.New shop signs decals may not be neon, and “must be composed of the Latin alphabet characters, except for texts translated for communication with tourists.

New businesses will have to submit an application outlining “the aesthetic impact of the business on the historical context” of the city centre before being approved.Furnishings must also comply with the council’s quality standards, including a minimum of two metres of space between food preparation and the street.

The council has also banned the opening of any new night clubs, betting shops, money transfer services, sex shops (known as ‘sexy shop’ in Italian), vending machines, or fast food stores in the protected area.

And laws on the sale of alcohol have been toughened up, meaning that glass bottles of alcohol will not be sold for outdoor consumption at nighttime.

Pistoia is not the first Italian city to clamp down on fast food businesses in its centre, as many of the country’s most loved areas struggle to reconcile mass tourism with the need to protect their own heritage and maintain the city’s liveability.